Greybeard

They continue to grow and learn.  I still catch them using the floor instead of the litterbox (or am too late) but they control their bodies now.  They do get violently jealous if one’s hungry and thinks someone else has found a nipple somewhere–they bite hard and grab with full claw extensions.  I’ve trimmed their front claws now.  They were seriously unimpressed with Science Diet canned food, but the boys and Orange (Keiko) will eat chicken pieces in a saucer with milk, and they’re the worst with the aggression issues.  I’m leaving out the 2 or 3 a.m. feeding now, but get up before 6 to tend to them.

 

Four Weeks Old

They’re four weeks old now and starting to play more, even noticing ball when they roll.  They aren’t quite up to chasing the ball, but they can bat it.  They use the litter box, or the floor, so I need to pay attention if they’re roaming.  Some of the litter box use is for playing.

Some of them will eat from a plate even, some of the time.  Their main food is still the bottle.  Green and Brown get a little murderous waiting their turn for a bottle, so I’m hoping they learn food soon.

They had a well-kitten checkup today and I found their name assignments:

Green=Kent

Flame=Kahlo

Black&White= Kibwe

Brown=Kelly

Orange=Keiko

 

Silver Tails

More and more white hairs are showing up–the bellies are getting more fur and looking less like wrinkled aliens.

They are desperately seeking bottles, but I’m waiting a little, as I’ll be gone at a rehearsal later and want to fill them just before leaving.  I put chicken in their mouths instead.  Green will eat sometimes on his own, Orange will suck chicken pieces down once started on them.  The others tend to spit it out a few times, but I’m persistent.

Litter box use is progressing.  If placed there at an opportune time, they all can and will pee there, sometimes more.  A few travel there on their own.  Sometimes the effort of pushing flattens them out, head sideways to the ground, but they are succeeding.

 

Itty Bitty Kitty Committee

The itty bitty kitty committee met today, had a little bit of chicken, and ajourned shortly thereafter.

Happy hour with the bottle was later.

We’re working on litterbox awareness, the idea that they can have other foods, and that a visit is not always a feeding.  Tough love.

 

 

 

Group Think

They still move as a blob: no one rushes out ahead of everyone to get first dibs.  This was second breakfast, but still they don’t trigger on my voice or opening the cage.  And after Green got on my lap, the others got distracted examining the fence, which was fine by me.

 

Guessing Game and Other Challenges

Em came by yesterday and we played a game: guess who owns which limb.  We got it wrong mostly, but the kittens got it right.  They had a busy day yesterday, going to the fiddle club meeting and being held by various people and hearing a lot of fiddles, cellos, guitars, and a small pipe.

The next morning, two of them conquered getting on top of the carrier, although not the getting down again.  I mushed the towel up against it and positioned them halfway down so they could get the idea.

Green’s  rump bump is nearly gone.  Orange’s right eye was glued shut this morning, twice, but it’s cleared up now.  Her appetite was a little off, and she kept leaving her tongue curled and sticking out, but she’s back to a normal chug level.

 

Cabal

They look like they’re plotting their next escape.  Actually, ealier today, I hadn’t made sure the enclosure was snug against the edges, or they pushed it open, and were wandering in the room.  They were a little freaked out and probably couldn’t figure how to get back in their towel and heating pad enhanced zone.  Then they got fed and all was well.

 

 

2 Weeks Old Today

Back when they were little (ha!), if a kitten got both arms through the collar, I could easily just slip it down off the hips, untie, and retie it.  Orange’s slipped this morning and was snug around her chest: even before a meal it wasn’t going any further.  I untied it before feeding so there would be a little more slack, and then retied it.

They were all dressed up for their vet visit this morning.  When the vet opened the carrier they rushed out eagerly, assuming another meal was coming.  When it didn’t, just strongid, they made do with sucking the towel.  New name for the anal gland infection is “rump bump”.  It’s getting smaller and seems to be slowly getting reabsorbed.

Our nice scale stopped working this morning and won’t work even when plugged in with the adapter.  It was balky when I first brought the kittens home but then I thought it was batteries and operator error.  We have another digital scale, but I may get a new one again.

And a video.  There’s a good view of the rump bump.

 

Doing Well

Sorry, the photo’s a little blurry so I made it smaller.  All the kittens are eating and digesting and getting bigger and stronger.  They’re learning to come out to me for feeding.  They still mostly snuggle, nuzzle, and sleep if they’re not eating or demanding to be fed.

Here is their growth chart, in grams.

 

 

Tabled

I moved them from being just in the crate to having the fenced-in under-the-table space.  They’re starting to get some potty-awareness, so it’s time.  For now, they just head back to the carrier whenever they’re done eating, but they’ll be exploring soon.  When I come to feed them, I call them first, instead of just reaching in.  They’re beginning to notice sounds.

They’ve all at least doubled in weight in the week I’ve had them.  Flame is the heaviest at 210 grams; Orange the lightest at 133–she really is just double her original 66 grams.

No more bloody poops, but Green still has an enlarged anal gland.  It still doesn’t bother him and it is smaller and softer than before.